Front loader arrangements, i.e., the arrangement of a front loader on a vehicle, in particular on an agricultural vehicle, or else on a different type of utility vehicle, are known. Front loaders can be connected to, or mounted on, a vehicle, for example on a tractor or an agricultural tractor, by means of a mounting frame, in order to carry out loader operations. The mounting frame is customarily screwed to the vehicle frame or fastened to the latter. The front loader itself has a connecting or mounting point or mounting mast which is connected to, or is mounted on, or coupled to, the console. Various possibilities are known in this respect. Some known exemplary embodiments of front loader arrangements have mechanisms which are formed on the console and serve for receiving two bearing bolts formed on the mast arrangement of the front loader, wherein at least one of the catch hooks is locked after receiving the bearing bolts. The bearing bolts are received here by the mounting frame being guided up to, or the vehicle being driven up to, the mounting mast or to the front loader which is in a corresponding parking position or mounting position. After the bearing bolts have been received, the catch hooks can be locked manually or else in a partially automated or fully automated manner or by an external motor or by remote control. In other mechanisms, the console has only one catch hook which serves for receiving a bearing bolt formed on the mast arrangement. For locking purposes, connecting openings are then formed both on the mounting frame and mounting mast, with the connecting openings, when brought into alignment with each other, being connected to each other via a locking bolt, or a locking bot is guided therethrough. The locking can also take place here manually or else in a partially automated or fully automated manner or by an external motor or by remote control.
Such a partially automated locking is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,632,056, granted Dec. 15, 2009 which presents a front loader arrangement which comprises a spring pre-tensioned locking bolt which can be actuated via adjusting elements formed on a mounting mast and on a mounting frame by the adjusting elements, by means of a relative movement with respect to one another, triggering a locking in such a manner that the locking bolt is guided by spring force into connecting openings formed on the mounting mast and on the mounting frame of the front loader arrangement. For unlocking purposes, the locking bolt has to be guided manually out of the connecting openings counter to the spring force and the adjusting elements have to be brought into a corresponding unlocking position. It is disadvantageous in this connection that, in particular, the design and arrangement of the adjusting element formed on the mast arrangement, and also the connection of said adjusting element to the locking bolt require a relatively complex outlay in terms of manufacturing and installation.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,832, granted Jun. 23, 2009, discloses a front loader arrangement, in which the mounting mast is guided via a ramp formed on the mounting fame wherein the mounting frame has catch hooks in which bearing bolts formed on the mounting mast are received. The front loader arrangement can be locked via a spring pre-tensioned spring-loaded locking catch, which engages in a first depression and then a second depression formed on the frame, wherein a pre-locking is formed here, in which the spring-loaded locking catch engages in the first depression and the mounting mast is still movable relative to the mounting frame until the mounting mast reaches the end position thereof, in which the bearing bolts have been fully inserted into the catch hooks. Only then does the spring-loaded locking catch snap into the second depression, at which final locking arises. Disadvantages here include the fact that, firstly, the design and arrangement of the spring-loaded locking catch provided on the mounting mast and, furthermore, the first and second depressions which are formed on the mounting frame and are intended for the pre-locking and final locking require a relatively complex outlay in terms of manufacturing and installation and also a great diversity of components.